In an effort to create top of mind awareness about Northwestern, we are ramping up our presence in the community, giving staff and student volunteers a great opportunity to connect and interact with the public.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, we will participate in the Bloomington Heritage Days Parade and Festival. We’d like a big showing at the parade! Students and staff are encouraged to sign up to join Vinnie and toss out Frisbees and bubbles to parade spectators. Staging begins at 9:30 a.m., with the parade starting at 10:30. The festival starts at 1 p.m., in the area of 98th Street and Lyndale Ave. Clinic staff and providers will be at the Northwestern booth, and students and alumni will be offering free chair massages. Heritage Days is a popular local event, attracting close to 10,000 people.

Also on Sept. 21, Northwestern will host the IronGirl EXPO and packet pickup on campus from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Bloomington IronGirl is a duathlon consisting of a 2-mile run, 22-mile bike, and 2-mile run. Approximately 1,200 participants will come to Northwestern to pick up their racer information. We’ll have a booth with AOM demonstrations and chair massages at the EXPO, and we are a sponsor of the duathlon event.

Students and staff can take advantage of a 10% discount on IronGirl registration. Use the code NORTHWESTERN (all caps) in the coupon code box when registering. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 16.

We helped students and families at Washburn Elementary School kick-off their school year by hosting the annual back to school picnic on August 29. Northwestern volunteers cooked and served hot dogs and burgers to more than 300 families. Each year we co-sponsor the annual picnic along with Richfield Bloomington Credit Union and the Washburn PTSA.

Minnesota State Fair goers got a glimpse of what Northwestern offers, when we joined KS95 in their fair booth on August 29. Accompanied by promotional radio spots throughout the day, Northwestern volunteers talked to spectators and demonstrated massage and acupuncture treatments.

A big thank you goes out to all the students, staff and faculty volunteering for these events. We appreciate your help in sharing the news about the great things happening at Northwestern.